For both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 series, Apple Intelligence is expected to be a major selling point. Due to inadequate system memory, Apple has already withheld some of its latest AI features from older iPhones.
Weibo tipster “Mobile phone chip expert” (translated from Chinese) has posted a tip that the iPhone 17 series may feature 12GB of RAM, an upgrade from the 8GB RAM rumoured for the iPhone 16.
Due to the increased RAM, the iPhone 17 series may be able to support more on-device AI features than the iPhone 16 series. Most Apple Intelligence features are currently based on cloud servers, which may raise privacy concerns. If you value privacy, the iPhone 17 lineup’s shift to on-device processing might be worth the wait.
According to Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities, the iPhone 17 Pro models will have 12GB of RAM. It isn’t clear from the latest rumour whether this upgrade applies to all iPhone 17 models or just the Pros.
An improved Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is rumoured to be included in the iPhone 16 series, enabling more complex AI features. The iPhone 16 may still fall short of fully utilizing on-device AI with only 8GB of RAM, making it less appealing for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 series, particularly the Pro models, could take Apple’s focus on edge AI to a new level. As a result of the 12GB RAM, certain mobile games may have higher-quality textures.
CFRA Research technology analyst Angelo Zino noted that the outlook for the iPhone 16 series was muted since the new AI features will be introduced over the next few years. Siri may not even be enhanced until 2025, according to him.
